This article appeared in similar form in The Language Teacher (volume19,
number 5, pp. 52, 53, 55), published by the Japan Association for Language
Teaching. Copyright @ Randall S. Davis and Hamilton Armstrong.

Introduction

For many students, language practice comes to a halt once class is over.
One reason is that students are unaware of how to use their English, German,
Japanese, or Russian, outside the confines of the classroom. As a result,
students who are interested in brushing up their skills often believe that
going overseas is the only way to reach the promised land of language mastery.
Yet, as language "shepherds," instructors can promote learning
by teaching students how to practice their foreign language skills within
without ever having to leave their native land.

The following are twenty-five suggestions we give Japanese students at
the beginning of the school year along with a simple language activity checklist
to record their own progress, but many of these ideas can be used in any
country, irregardless of the language being learned. Basically, students
are asked to keep notes on which activities they are involved in during
the year, and hand in this information at regular intervals. While students
are not required to do any of these language tasks, we award extra points
based on the amount practice they actually do outside of class, and these
points are added to their final grade.

Listening and Speaking

1. Rent a movie, and turn ordinary viewing into an active language-learning
exercise by (a) stopping the tape and comparing what you hear to what the
subtitles say, (b) keeping a diary of any new expressions or words you learn,
(c) recording any interesting or unusual translations you hear, and (d)
taking notes of any gestures or other body language you see.

2. Record portions of English radio broadcasts, or watch TV programs
in English (CBS News, Sesame Street, etc.). Listen intently to the content
of the programs, and make it a goal to learn several new words every time.

3. Listen to foreign music groups. Read the words of their songs. Repeat.
Sing along. Write five sentences using some of the new words you hear.

4. Enjoy singing in English with your friends.

5. Carry on a talking journal with someone (a teacher, a close friend,
or a foreign pen friend) on cassette or videotape.

6. Become a member of a friendship group or club that promotes mutual
understanding and language learning between foreign countries by organizing
meetings, tours, and homestay programs.

7. Administer a short survey of your own design on life in Japan at a
popular tourist spot near you.Express your appreciation by giving participants
a telephone card. Tape record the interview, transcribe the responses, and
share the results with your classmates and teachers.

8. Check out web sites on the Internet that have been designed for, or
by, students. Dave's ESL Cafe (http://www.pacific.net/~sperling/eslcafe.html),
ESLOOP (http://manth.unr.edu/linguistics/esloop/esloop.html), and Virtual
English Language Center (http://www.comenius.com) are good examples.

9. Play games printed in English and/or require some knowledge of English
(Monopoly, Scrabble, Life, Pictionary, etc.). Before starting, come up with
a repertoire of basic commands for playing, and encourage the other members
to only speak the target language.

10. Produce a five-minute English video with your friends on some aspect
of your culture or other interesting topics. Try to pattern the content
of the video on units in your textbook which can later be used by the teacher
in class. Then have a grand premiere with popcorn. Also send a copy of the
video to your pen friend.

11. Go on bus tours that are usually designed for foreign tourists. For
listening practice, write down a list of ten things you anticipate the guide
will say about the tour before departing like Welcome to the tour today
or Please meet back at the bus at 4:00. Then check off the ones you actually
hear.

12. Talk to yourself or repeat aloud dialogues you have learned in class,
and then tape record your voice. Listen to what you have recorded.

13. Throw a party, and invite your teachers and their friends. Plan activities
or "icebreakers" which encourage lively interaction among your
guests. For instance, play Bingo, but use seasonal words (e.g., barbecue,
fireworks, flag, etc.) instead of numbers. Also have the players call out
their own words for pronunciation practice.

14. Order food in English at a restaurant which caters to foreign guests.

15. Volunteer to teach your language in exchange for English lessons.
Write advertisements on small cards and place them on bulletin boards at
schools, universities, local ward or municipal offices, and supermarkets
frequented by foreigners.

16. Register with your local tourist information office to have foreigners
spend a few hours (or days) in your home.

Writing

17. Write to other students in foreign countries by contacting the International
Youth Service, an pen-friend program which has served as a link between
students from around the world since 1952 (IYS, PB 125, FIN-20101 Turku,
Finland).

18. Keep an English diary to record your feelings and experiences, and
write in it two or three times a week. Input it on a word processor or computer
to improve your typing skills. Have a close friend or teacher correct your
entries or make comments in response to what you have written.

19. Share your opinions in the editorial section of an English newspaper.
For example, write to "Letters To The Editor," The Daily Yomiuri,
1-7-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-55, or fax your ideas to the paper
at 03-3279-6324. You will receive a complimentary telephone card if your
letter is printed.

20. Learn at least one new word a day. Write these words in a small notebook
and carry it with you. Ask a friend to review this new vocabulary with you
on a regular basis.

21. Experience some Christmas cheer by writing a letter to Santa Claus.
Contact him and his reindeer at Joulupukki (Santa), FIN-99999 Koruatunturi,
Finland.

22. Translate traditional Japanese children's stories into English and
share these tales with others.

23. Enhance your word power by working on crossword puzzles or word searches.
Make your own games based on different themes and print them in a class
newsletter.

25. Subscribe to a weekly edition of one of Japan's English language
newspapers published especially for English students like The Japan Times
Weekly. Call 03-3453-4350 or fax 03-3452-1298 for more information on current
subscription rates, or find one on the Internet.

Conclusion

Obviously, the more language activities students are engaged in beyond
the classroom, the more confident they will become in communicating in English.
And, the more possibilities students see, the more they will feel that English
is truly a living language that can be acquired and used without having
to go abroad to study it. In reality, teaching is all about empowering students
with the ability to take more control of their own learning, and giving
students a list of language-building tasks will make the whole process a
day-to-day experience.